Unfortunate Circumstances
by justmovingon
Summary: Jack succeeds in rescuing Will from the clutches of another pirate, but what happened to Will on that ship constantly haunts him. Jack makes a vow to protect Will, and it's put to the test when the Black Pearl is under attack. Jack struggles to save Will.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Captain, they've found him!" Gibbs' voice came from the other side of Jack Sparrow's cabin door. "Jack, they've found Will Turner!"

Jack immediately threw on some clothes, grabbed his cutlass, and rushed to the door.

"They've found him?" he breathed, unbelieving. He'd been trailing after Drogo - and without much success - for months now, set on rescuing Will. He'd been captured on Davy Jones's order; what he wanted with him, Jack didn't know. The man had detained the blacksmith, and then he'd been handed off to another pirate.

Jack and Gibbs made their way up to the main deck, where they instantly saw the ship that had long begun sinking. The Black Pearl's crew was busy tying up various pirates and looting, but the Captain was busy scanning the waters for his friend.

"Jack!" Will's voice came from somewhere to the right down in the water. Jack looked down and saw Will desperately trying to loosen the ropes that tied his wrists together.

Jack ordered Pintel and Ragetti to get down there and untie him, but at that moment, the mast broke off of Drogo's ship and sailed down into the water, directly over Will's head.

"Will!" Jack yelled, but it was too late. The mast landed with a huge splash, and after the water calmed down, he couldn't see the blacksmith anywhere.

"Will!" He looked everywhere, trying to spot him. Panic rose inside him.

He was about to jump in the water after him, but Gibbs held him back, saying, "Don't be daft, Jack; Pintel and Ragetti will find him."

"Someone bloody save him or I'll gut you all!" Jack cried. He could barely believe it was happening. After all the time he'd spent with Will, he'd grown accustomed to the sound of his voice, the calloused feel of blacksmith's hands, the scent of him, and the sheer pleasure from being around the man. If he died…

"Cap'n, we got 'im!"

Jack rushed to the unconscious body and dropped to his knees beside Will. He could tell he was breathing, though it seemed shallow and broken. Jack listened for a heartbeat and was relieved when he found one.

"Will? Will, wake up," Jack said, shaking him vigorously. "W- Wake up!" He ghosted his thumb over Will's cheek. "Please…"

"Put the boy in the Captain's cabin," a voice said from behind. It was Gibbs. "Come on – you two get Jack away from here."

Jack was about to protest when he felt two pairs of arms drag him to his feet and start hauling him away from Will.

"No – get away from me," he yelled, trying to get back to Will's side. "Will! WILL!"

They forced Jack to stay at the helm, where he kept his eyes on Will as long as he could before he disappeared into the shadows of the cabins.

An hour later, after Jack was assured that Will was alive, he was allowed in his quarters to see him. He was lying on Jack's bed, still in his wet clothes and still unconscious.

Jack slowly made his way over to him and sat on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on Will's leg as he looked at him. With near-shoulder length brown hair, high cheekbones and piercing hazel eyes, he was the picture of perfection in Jack's mind.

He spent another moment just gazing at him before he decided to try to make himself useful by changing the young man's clothes. He began unbuttoning his shirt and was about to slide it off when he noticed a couple of bruises high on his hips. Frowning, Jack took one of Will's wrists and started to pull the shirt off him when he felt a kind of raw texture under his fingers. He leaned down and looked closely at the red rope burns that marked Will's wrists.

"What happened to you?" he murmured softly.

He finished putting a clean shirt on Will and numbly started to run his hands over the younger man. Jack knelt down at the side of the bed and took one of Will's hands in both of his. A feeling of queasiness took hold of his stomach; like when one misses a step going down the stairs. If Will didn't wake up… if he died… Jack didn't know what he'd do.

"Please…" he begged silently, chest heaving as he tried to control his breathing. "Please, Will, don't die. Don't go."

He buried his face in the unmoving chest and rasped, "Please, Will…"

And then, Jack Sparrow, a man who hadn't shed a tear since he was five years old, started crying.

"I love you."

"How is he?" Gibbs asked, appearing at Jack's side the next morning. "Any change?"

"No better than when you last saw him," Jack replied irritably. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, crouching on the floor next to his bed in front Will, praying that he woke. "Look, mate - I won't be spending much time at the helm, so you and Anamaria are in charge."

Gibbs nodded as Jack went on, saying, "If I see anyone but you or her behind the wheel of the Pearl, I'll feed you all to the sharks, understood?"

"God's beard, Jack. Yes, we know, we know," Gibbs replied. "How 'bout we get ye a chair down there, so you can rest?"

Jack nodded absently, looking out across the sea. What he wouldn't give to see Will open his eyes…

"I'm going back down to see him," he said, leaving Gibbs to hurriedly take the wheel in his hands.

Jack paced up and down the length of his cabin for the millionth time, occasionally stopping to just look at the man he cared for. Will made no movement or signs of waking other than flexing his fingers every once in a while or opening his mouth for a second to exhale.

This was how Jack spent the next month. Pacing his cabin, not eating much, and when he slept, he sat in his chair with his head resting on the edge of Will's bed.

One evening after a particularly exhausting day, Jack had fallen asleep at his usual place, watching over the unconscious man.

Noises and colors kept flashing in and out of Will's mind. He groaned, but didn't open his eyes. Searing pain went through his head, and he moaned quietly. Jack's eyes snapped open at the noise, and he looked up at the boy, hardly daring to believe it.

"Will?" he said softly, reaching out a shaking hand to brush a lock of hair out of the young man's face.

Will didn't know where he was, who was touching him, or why his head felt like it was going to split open. He opened his eyes and wildly looked around. Everything was mildly blurry, but he could see someone leaning over him.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled, trying to back away from the figure. "Don't…"

He sat up and tried to get away, but the dizziness that started made him groan and clutch at his head.

Jack gripped Will's forearms tightly and said, "Easy there, now. Calm down…"

Will recognized the voice. It was Jack. He stopped moving and looked at the man in front of him. Jack had saved him. Without warning, he launched himself at the pirate and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered into Jack's ear before pulling away and looking into his ever-so-beautiful eyes. "It was horrible on that ship. You wouldn't believe-"

Jack didn't trust himself to speak. It was just too much. The most important person in the world to him was there, awake, alive… he thought he'd burst into tears again, so he just settled for placing his arms securely around Will's waist and not letting go.

Finally, Jack mumbled, "I thought you were going to die, y'know. You've no idea…"

Will furrowed his brow and said, "Die? Wait, what happened, Jack? I don't remember much."

"We raided Drogo's ship about a month ago," Jack said, releasing Will's waist as he spoke. "You were in the water when the mast broke off and almost drowned you, mate. You've been unconscious even since. And, in turn, you had me thinking that you were going to die."

"A _month_?" Will was astounded. He'd been unconscious for a month? He looked down at his clothes. Upon realizing they were Jack's, he said, "Thank you for taking care of me."

Jack smiled and replied, "Don't tell the crew. Don't want them to think I'm getting soft now, eh?"

Will chuckled, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and was about to get up when Jack put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't do that," he said, pushing the man back down onto the bed. "You'll get dizzy and make yourself sick."

"It's okay," Will replied, slowly getting up again. "I want to get some food; I'm starving."

Jack furrowed his brow in worry but stood up as well. They were halfway to the door when Will suddenly gasped in pain and clutched the back of his head. Jack was at his side in an instant, with an arm around his waist and leading him back to the bed. Will's legs gave out and he slumped forwards onto the pirate, who had to quickly gather the young man in his arms to prevent him from falling.

"Oh god…" Will moaned, rubbing his head, "It feels like my skull's split open."

Jack sounded a bit troubled as he said, "Yes… that's to be expected for a few weeks. But your skull isn't fractured, mate. I checked. It'll be best if you don't try to walk for a while; just stay in here 'till you get better."

Will thought this over, absently pulling at the hem of his shirt, wondering if Jack would actually tolerate him being on the Pearl without doing any work.

"Jack… I should try to do some work – I've got to earn my keep, don't I?"

Jack smiled gently and replied, "Not when you're not well, William. I can't risk losing yo – losing any of my men."

He didn't know why he stopped in mid-sentence, but thankfully, Will didn't notice, as he was currently tracing his index finger over a rope burn on his wrist.

"How did you get those?" the pirate asked quietly, looking at the angry red marks on Will's arms.

Will didn't reply.

"Will?"

He looked up and said, "The Captain kept me tied up in his quarters for months. Ever since he first kidnapped me."

Jack felt a surge of anger towards the now dead Drogo as he said, "I saw the bruises as well. What about them?"

"Nothing." His voice was vulnerable, not wanting Jack to find what had happened.

"You know I can tell when you're lying, Will," Jack said, completely serious, "And I'll find out if I have to."

Will hesitated before quietly saying, "He raped me."

Jack's eyes widened. "What?"

"He'd… _take_ me every night when he came in, then bound and gag me until morning, when he'd just tie my wrists together." There were lots of pauses punctuating his explanation, and Will struggled not to let tears of remembrance come out of his eyes.

"Oh, Will…"

Jack rubbed Will's back, murmuring, "He paid for what he's done, luv. It'll never happen again."

"It wasn't just him…" Will whispered, "Another one… from another ship came and took me from time to time."

Jack's eyes flared with anger as he said, "Who was he? What was his name, Will? I swear to _god_ that if I find him I'll personally torture him and make him walk the plank."

Will just shook his head, saying, "I never heard his name. I remember that he had two guns with him at all times… big ship… long scar on his face… and that he liked… liked to–" he stopped talking and curled up on the bed, shaking fiercely as he remembered the sheer pain he'd had to endure.

"Liked what?" Jack asked quietly, pulling a blanket over him.

The young man turned his head away in shame. "Liked to see me bleed."

Jack stopped moving. He just looked at Will, mentally noting just how abused he looked now; dry, cracked lips, bruises and welts all over his body, _oh god… _

"I…" he began, not really sure of what he was going to say.

"It's okay, Jack… like you said, it's over," Will mumbled, not wanting Jack to get distracted from his Captain duties in fear of his health.

"It's far from over, William. Look at you – you can still remember it… you're still scared."

Will's eyes flashed. "I'm not scared!"

Jack fixed him with a stare. The younger man sighed, trying to fight the lump that was rising in his throat.

"I'm terrified. Terrified that at any moment, he'll board the Pearl and take me again; terrified because of what he did to me… and because I know it'll happen again," he finished quietly, looking down at his hands.

Jack furiously made a silent vow to protect Will with his life, noting that the young man had definitely been raped beyond count. He whispered, "Don't be. You know I'll never let anything harm you, don't you?"

Up until now, Will had been successful in keeping the tears from forming in his eyes, but now as Jack said this, promising he'd never be hurt again, it was too much. He started crying, shoulders shaking with the effort as he tried to conceal his agony. He fell into Jack's arms and shamefully sobbed away some memories, burying his face in the crook of Jack's neck.

The pirate himself was busy tightly grasping the shaking boy and letting him cry onto his shoulder. "Shh… shh, luv, it'll be alright, I promise…" he whispered, stroking the silky tresses of Will's head.

After a few minutes, the sobs quieted down to small sniffles and sharp intakes of breath, but Jack still didn't let go. He maneuvered them both down to the pillow and continued to rub Will's back.

"William?" he whispered. There was no reply. He looked down and saw that Will's eyes were closed and that he was breathing deeply, cheeks still covered in tears.

Jack sighed, gently wiped the tears away, and pulled the younger man closer to him, breathing in the familiar scent and momentarily losing himself within it as he drifted off to sleep as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jack was startled awake by a loud noise just to his left. He quickly sat up and lit a candle, looking for the source of the noise in the din.

Will was turned away from him, and it looked like he had hit his knee off the hard wood of the cabin wall. He was currently not moving, though his hand was gripping the bed sheets so tight his knuckles were white. Jack debated whether or not to wake him up, but decided against it when he didn't see or hear any more commotion.

He lay back down and hesitated for a moment before sliding his arm around the slim waist and closing his eyes.

"_You'll never see the light of day again, boy," the pirate laughed, moonlight illuminating the scar across his face. "Never see __**him**__ again…"_

_He pointed to the corner of the ship, where an eerily immobile figure was brought into the light. _

"_Jack!" Will yelled, making a mad lunge for him, but Jack was tied up and gagged, so he was easily pulled away. _

_The pirate laughed again. "A lifetime of servitude, said your father! You, whelp, are nothing more than a whore!"_

"_No!" Will yelled, looking madly around and trying to spot Jack. "Jack! Jack, where are you?"_

_The pirate laughed again. _

"_Told ye you'd never see him again," he sneered. _

"_JACK!"_

"Will! William, wake up!"

Someone was roughly shaking him.

"Will!"

His eyes snapped open. The pirate's laughter rung in his ears. Will leaned over the side of the bed and coughed, suddenly feeling the bile rise up in his throat at the thought of the deranged man who raped him.

"Will, what's wrong?"

Will retched up nothing but stomach acid. He coughed to clear his lungs and looked up at Jack.

Jack leaned down close to him, eyes clouded with worry. "You called me name a few times…"

Will shook so hard he had to wrap his arms around himself to steady his motions.

"I'm f–fine," he mumbled, trying to remember every aspect of the dream. But the harder he tried to think about it, the harder it became to recall.

"What were you dreaming?" Jack asked quietly, running his hand up and down Will's arm to warm him.

"Don't remember."

He involuntarily continued shivering, then suddenly realized how stupid he must be, a grown man waking up in the middle of the night – crying, whining… So he furiously lay back down and started at the ceiling, hating himself for showing emotion.

Jack was a bit surprised at this outward show of anger, so he asked, "What's the matter?"

"I'm acting like a fucking child," Will spat, "And I'm a grown man – I shouldn't be crying like that."

"Don't be stupid, Will, you're… well…" Jack looked for a suitable word, "Traumatized. It's normal to be the way you are right now. You need time to get over it."

Here, Will looked at Jack despairingly and shook his head.

"Do you know what I did when I first got you down here when you were unconscious?" the pirate asked. His words were soft.

"What?"

"I cried," he said.

Will's eyes widened considerably and he rasped, "W–what?"

"I cried," Jack repeated, nodding his head, "Because the most important person in the world to me was just lying there… and I spent an hour just sitting at your side, crying me heart out."

Will couldn't believe it. Jack was the bravest man he knew, but…

It made him feel better to know he wasn't alone.

"Now, if you tell anybody this, I'll run you through with my sword meself, savvy?"

Will chuckled somewhat and said, "Okay, Jack, okay…"

Jack winked and laid down, putting his head against the pillow, watching as Will closed his eyes again and went to sleep. He just looked at the man before him, chiseled cheekbones of a god - he was sure of it - a perfect mouth just begging to be kissed, and, underneath the looks, a brave heart just enveloped in the stubbornness of a true pirate.

Jack whispered, "God, Will… do you know just how much I love you?"

"Ah, young Mr. Turner, how are ye?" Gibbs asked as he saw the young blacksmith walk up on deck with Jack.

Will smiled at Gibbs and replied, "I'm fine, Mr. Gibbs."

"Glad to see ye healthy again, lad," the old man replied, walking away to tend to the mainsail.

"What say you to steering her?" Jack said, appearing behind Will and smiling.

"Really? I'd love to," the blacksmith said, taking the wheel in his hands and feeling the power as he tilted it to the left.

"You'll be back to normal, you'll see," Jack said absently, looking out across the ocean. "Won't take long… you've always liked the sea, haven't you?"

Will nodded, saying, "Yes, I have. Ever since I was a little boy. I'd go down to the docks at sunset and watch both the sky and sea turn orange. And I'd imagine myself sailing off toward the horizon with an actual pirate."

He chuckled and added, "And that came true, didn't it?"

"Aye, it did, luv," Jack said softly, turning his gaze upon Will now and capturing the boy's eyes with his own.

Will was about to reply before they heard Gibbs' voice. "Jack! The Dragon is coming up behind us! They're attacking!"

Jack hurried and put his scope to his eye, brought it back, and muttered, "Well, this experience should get you into the pirate habit soon enough, lad."

Will looked at the huge ship coming behind up behind the Black Pearl and felt a surge of excitement and nervousness course through him.

"Here ya go," Jack said, handing him a nicely crafted sword and pulling out his own. "I trust you haven't forgotten how to fight?"

Will took the sword and surveyed it, replying, "You trust right."

"Good."

The crew got ready and clung onto ropes, waiting to ambush The Dragon. As soon as it was close enough, they swung over to the other pirate crew and began fighting.

Jack stayed at the helm, scanning the other ship's deck for the other Captain. He would be the one for Jack to take care of. And there he was. Jack saw the heavily scarred man step out into view and pull out his sword. There were two guns hanging at his belt. He heard a choked noise from beside him. Jack looked at Will.

"It's him."

It took Jack a moment to process what Will meant, but once he understood, he wanted to cause that man as much pain as was humanly possible.

"It's him… it's him…" Will whispered as he backed up into a wooded wall and let his sword drop from his hand.

"I'll kill that bastard, you can be sure of that," Jack growled, walking to the railing and calling out, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

The fight stopped momentarily as the two captains exchanged glares. Finally, the scarred man replied, "Ah, so I see you've got my little trinket, then?" He pointedly looked at Will and continued, "Bring him over here, Sparrow – I want to feel that tight ass around my cock again."

His crew laughed, and he beckoned five of them to swing over to the Pearl and get Will.

"Oh no, you don't," Jack yelled, quickly killing one man and starting a duel with the others.

Will quickly picked up his sword and fought two of them at once, making it as evenly matched as possible, though the sick thought of being back near that pirate spurred him on to kill as fast as possible. However, not all pirates honored the code. Two more appeared and forcibly restrained Jack while the other two rid the younger man of his sword and swung him over to The Dragon.

"Get off me!" Will cried, kicking at the men, but there were too many of them.

He saw the scarred pirate leering at him as he said, "Bring him over here, gents; right back to my favorite spot."

Jack was filled with rage. _If he tries to -_

Will was slammed against the wheel of the ship, where he instantly felt a body press against his own. He looked around for Jack, but only found his friend being held back by three other pirates. Then the pain started.

The pirate ripped apart the boy's breeches, taking care to cut a bit of skin as he went. Breathing hard, he freed his erect cock and forcefully pushed inside Will.

Will groaned in pain and screwed his eyes shut as he felt himself once again being ripped open. The pirate started thrusting, and with each out-stroke, Will felt an amount of blood leave his body. He moaned repeatedly, hating himself for showing that he was in pain, and uselessly tried to get away.

"No, stop… please!" he begged, sobbing in pain.

Jack could barely believe what was happening to his love. He saw Will scream in agony as he was taken again, and he practically roared in anger, watching… just watching... until Will gave an ear-splitting cry of pain, shuddered, and slumped forward onto the wheel of the ship.

Jack felt adrenaline surge through his veins as he managed to turn and fight off one man. Quickly grabbing his sword, he ran the others through before they had a chance to react. He found a rope to swing onto the other ship, sword still clutched tightly in his hand.

"_I'll fucking kill you_!" he screamed, charging towards the pirate who was still hurting the young man. He lashed at the man's arms, face, and torso – anything he could reach – just to cause pain.

As he felt the cock being ripped from him, Will moaned in pain once again and shakily sank down onto the deck, barely watching as Jack ran the man through with his sword.

"You are… fucking… going… to hell," Jack whispered, turning away from the dead man and yelling, "Cut out their intestines and tie them to floating barrels. Make them suffer."

The crew hastened to obey as Jack quietly turned towards Will, who had nearly passed out by now.

"Will… hang on," Jack said shakily, taking Will in his arms, "Hang on…"

Will was in so much pain he hardly registered what Jack was saying. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he convulsed, causing Jack to stop in his tracks.

"I'll take care of you…" Jack whispered, feeling his heart ache.

"Hurts… everywhere…" Will choked out, "Hurts too much… rid me of this pain, Jack… please…"

Jack's heart skipped a beat in his chest as he said, "No… no, Will… you'll get through this… you're the bravest man I know."

"Brave? Stop lying; how can I be fucking _brave_if I'm stupid enough to get myself into these situations?"

"_Stop_ saying that, William," Jack ordered firmly but gently, making his way towards his cabin, all the while keeping a vary eye on the love of his life.

Will groaned in pain and clutched his stomach as Jack carefully laid him down onto the bed, the abdominal muscles tightening up beyond measure and making him bring his knees up to his chest and close his eyes in agony. He couldn't stop trembling.

"Why… oh…" he moaned, tears of pain leaking out of his eyes.

Jack softly wiped away the tears and said, "Shh, luv…"

"I'm sorry I let that happen to you," he added, sounding disgusted with himself.

"You couldn't have done anything, Jack…" Will stifled a groan of pain again as he said this, wanting to pass out, but the gods didn't grant him his wish.

"I need to check you over; luv… and I'll give you something to ease the pain, how does that sound?"

Jack went to his trunk and looked through it for a few seconds, finally spotting the medicine book and herbs he'd once looted off another ship. He'd kept it safe in case of injury. Will slowly took his breeches off as Jack flipped through the pages, muttering to himself but stopping once he saw the blood and semen that coated Will's thighs.

Will saw Jack's expression darken and turn protective as he studied him, heart almost bursting with anger to all who had hurt him. He didn't say anything. Instead, Jack took a wet washcloth and gently pressed his hand to Will's thigh, whispering, "It'll hurt, but it'll end soon enough, okay?"

Will nodded. Jack put the washcloth to the bleeding cleft and ran it up, then down, and made his way toward his thighs. Will was breathing so heavily that Jack was forced to look up, only to see the boy staring at the ceiling and gritting his teeth so hard that tears were once again forming in his eyes.

"It's alright, luv… you'll feel better if you let it out," Jack said soothingly.

Instead of yelling in pain, as Jack had expected Will to do, the young man merely let the tears overflow, keeping himself silent by biting his lip, sobbing noiselessly as the pain took hold of his entire body. Jack immediately wished that he was the one in pain. Watching Will caused him to cringe with every movement he made, but he merely tried to be as gentle as he could, not knowing how else to comfort the young man.

_I feel as if I'm on display… it's humiliating_, Will thought, refusing to make eye contact with Jack.

As if reading his mind, Jack soothed, "It wasn't your fault, Will. You don't have to feel like this around me…"

"I can't help it… I'm sorry…"

Jack nodded grimly. "I know, luv, it's hard."

"Does your head hurt?" he added.

Will nodded slightly, for he was afraid to move in fear of disturbing his aching stomach. Jack moved over to his table, read something in his book, and got a pitcher of water in which he put a few drops of another liquid.

"Drink this," he whispered gently, putting his hand behind Will's neck to support him as he gulped down the substance.

Jack put his hands on either side of Will's face and wiped the tears away, saying, "I promise you that you'll make it through this, William. I promise you that if anything like this happens to you, I'll – I'll spend my life protecting you with all I have."

Will choked on his words as he said them. "I – oh, thank you, Jack…"

"Shh…"

"Take care of me, okay?" the boy mumbled desperately, wanting to pass out with each passing second.

"Of course I will," he promised.

"Thank you Jack…" the blacksmith said again, adding, "I love you so much…"

"You're the reason I live, lad; I'll love you until the day I die, Will."

As Will felt the effects of the medicine taking effect on him and somewhat drowning out the pain, he heard Jack repeating, "I love you…"

Then he passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"…don't know when he'll wake up…"

"Poor boy – to be in such pain… 'tis a shame."

Light pierced through his eyelids. He groaned and turned over. A hand was placed on his forehead.

"Alright," Jack's voice was firm, "You can go now."

Will heard footsteps, and then a click as the door was closed.

"Will?"

Pain, lots of it, passed through his lower back. He groaned again and opened his eyes, finding himself face-to-face with Jack Sparrow.

"Feeling better?"

Will nodded and rubbed his eyes wearily, feeling somewhat more relaxed than he was earlier on. He found that he was still in Jack's bed, but clad in new clothes, and it seemed that he'd been patched up nicely.

"Thank you for… everything," he sighed gratefully, slowly pulling himself up to rest against the pillows.

Jack smiled gently and sat at the end of his bed. "I bandaged you up as best I could, then got a doctor's opinion – without him actually examining you, of course. I figured you wouldn't… want to be put under that pressure. He said you'll be fine, but not to do anything _too _physical for a week or so."

"But how will I do my share of work on deck?" Will asked, determined not to let the other men know he wasn't allowed to do any heavy lifting because of his injuries.

"Quiet, Will – I'll not have you injuring yourself further on account of your pride."

Jack seemed firm with his decision as he stood up, crossed the room, and came back with a flask of water in his hand.

"Drink this, and then get some rest," he said gently.

Will drank as he watched Jack yawn, rub his eyes, and glance wistfully at the bed he was currently occupying.

"Where am I sleeping? I don't want to push you out of your own –" Will started, but Jack silenced him with a wave of his hand.

Jack shook his head. "It don't matter, luv. You can rest in there all you want."

"You're too good, Jack," Will sighed and then added, "I refuse to see you break your back in that chair of yours… sleep here."

Jack tried to hide his gratefulness, but he couldn't as exhaustion finally overtook him the moment he laid his head upon the pillow next to Will's. He was determined to stay awake and keep an eye on the boy, but the bed was so soft, and the body next to him was so warm…

He drifted off to sleep almost immediately. Will lay awake for a few more minutes, thinking of the day's events, unintentionally replaying the terrifying scene he'd had to relive over and over again.

With fear and heaviness in his heart, the young blacksmith fell into an uneasy sleep.

Jack yawned and opened his eyes. He saw a figure sitting at the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched and head bent as if it was cold.

"Will?" he asked groggily. "Are you alright, luv?"

"Hm?" Will lifted his head and looked over at Jack. "Yes, I'm okay. Just can't sleep."

Jack yawned and sat up next to the blacksmith, putting an arm around his shoulders and saying, "Thinking?"

Will nodded.

"About what?"

"Everything, Jack… not just today, but before – and all he put me through, forcing me to live through everything he did to me, not letting me _die_and be put out of my misery."

Jack shuddered at the thought and moved closer to the boy, feeling an overwhelming need to be by him at all times and to protect him with his life.

"I can't imagine how it feels…" he murmured, rubbing his hand over Will's shoulder. "But he's gone now, both of them are…"

"Just the thought of them…" Will trailed off and shivered. "I don't know how many times, when he was in the middle of molesting me, it hurt too much and I wanted to pass out – I could always feel the blackness surrounding me, Jack – and he'd stop thrusting and let me come back to my senses. Then he'd laugh and start again, doing everything twice as hard. I always prayed to lose consciousness, but he'd never let me. Said he loved to see a bratty child like me bleed… cry… beg…"

Jack was breathing shallow by the end of Will's confession, and his eyes were clouded with sympathy, protectiveness, and love. He pulled the blanket over the boy and turned him so they were face to face. With a sharp intake of breath, Jack hugged Will as close as he could, one hand on the back of his head and the other on his waist. The young man smiled gently and hugged back, soon becoming lost in the sensation Jack's hands left on his body.

"Sorry I keep doing that," Jack chuckled briefly, "But you sure do know how to make a man feel wretched, lad."

"Oh," Will blushed, "I – I didn't know –"

"Don't worry… I'm not telling you to stop; you've got to get these things out," the pirate said quickly. "How about this? For tomorrow, you stay with me at the helm and get used to… to being around pirates. The likes that hurt you, you know you won't find here, but still…"

Will nodded; he knew what Jack meant, and was glad for the man's understanding.

"Thank you."

He stifled a yawn then, but Jack saw and ordered; "Now it's off to bed with you. With the things that you had to endure today, you need at least twelve hours rest."

Will sighed and smiled slightly. "Thank you for taking care of me, Jack."

The pirate returned the smile and lay back down, heaving a content sigh when his head hit the pillow.

"Night, Jack," Will said, lying down next to him and closing his eyes.

"Night, luv."

"Jack, wake up," Will pleaded. His lower back was aching more, as was everything under it. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He put his head back onto the pillow and tried not to concentrate on the pain. "Jack!"

Jack stirred faintly, mumbled something, and buried his face in the pillow, but didn't wake.

"Jack!" Will cried, for the pain had intensified.

The pirate opened his eyes and sat up, immediately worried by the pained tone of the young man's voice.

"What? What is it, Will?" he said, scanning the blacksmith's body for injuries.

Will took a shuddery breath and locked eyes with Jack. "Can you get me something to drink?" he implored pleadingly.

"Of course, luv," he said at once, making his way over to the jug of water and medicine and bringing a ladleful to his friend. Will drank and closed his eyes momentarily, feeling himself relax as Jack ran his thumb down the side of his face.

"Okay?" Jack asked quietly.

Will nodded. "I think it was just panic. I'm alright."

Jack held out a hand and helped Will up and off the bed, and the blacksmith felt better being up and about as he followed his Captain up the stairs and out onto the sunny deck.

Jack looked around the deck at his working crew and settled his eyes on Will.

"Alright, lad - you can do any odd job you like, but don't strain yourself," he ordered, speaking seriously and smiling once Will nodded in agreement.

As the Captain took the wheel into his hands, Will made his way over to Gibbs, who was currently tying up the rigging at the mainsail.

"Morning, Gibbs," he said, smiling lightly and asking, "Is there anything I could do… that isn't too…" he trailed off awkwardly, feeling terribly humiliated to ask for such a thing.

The man just nodded understandably and replied, "Yes, Mr. Turner – there's the rigging to be put up and tied to the front sail with Blackjack."

"Thank you." Will walked towards the front of the ship, thinking.

He knew Blackjack; he was one of the first ones he and Jack had picked up at Tortuga, and they'd always gotten along comfortably. The pirate gave him a gap-toothed smile and said, "Long time no see, Turner, eh?"

Will smiled back and said, "It's good to see you, Blackjack. So, what do we have to do here?"

"Tie it 'round the metal, then throw the rope over that sail and I'll do the rest," the man instructed, pointing to everything as he said it.

He followed the man's instructions and was fine until the Pearl hit a reef. Will overbalanced and hit the railing, and Blackjack was thrown forwards, accidentally pinning the young blacksmith to the hard wood.

"Everyone alright?" Jack called out, dark eyes scanning the ship and stopping to rest on Will and the other pirate.

"Sorry, lad," Blackjack said, and then chuckled as he got off the young man, "I guess Jack's been hitting the rum a little hard lately."

Will managed a small smile, but his entire body had suddenly tensed, he'd seen Drogo once more, and he felt as if he couldn't breathe. He looked up, and, locking his eyes with Jack's, ran below deck without a word. Jack followed immediately, worried by the look on his friend's face. He couldn't let Will relive it again. He just couldn't.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jack led Will into his cabin, and as soon as he had the door shut behind them, the young blacksmith fell to the floor and began shaking as tears streamed from his eyes. The pirate didn't know what was wrong, how to help the boy… He sank onto his knees in front of Will and held his shoulders. 

"I – I couldn't breathe," Will gasped, running a shaky hand through his hair and adding, "Th– the reef – and Blackjack fell on me – I saw Drogo again and –"

"Shh, luv," Jack murmured as he leant forward and pressed gentle kisses into Will's hair. "I know, I know…"

The blacksmith took a deep breath and pulled away from Jack to look in his eyes. Something finally dawned on him then: Why did he trust Jack so much? Why was Jack the only person who could touch him and he wouldn't flinch away? This pirate was the only person who could hold him like this, the only one who was allowed to see him cry. Did this mean…? Of course – he loved Jack.

In an instant, Will leant forward and tightly pressed his lips against the pirate's. _Oh god. _It felt so good and so _right_ that Will couldn't pull away, even as he felt no response from Jack. 

The Captain, meanwhile, was trying to breathe again. He was surprised, frankly, that someone as _good_ as the man in front of him could… have feelings for him? But he couldn't stop himself from opening his mouth and feeling Will's tongue stroke against his own in a way that left him breathless again. Will himself couldn't get enough of Jack's lips against his own and he moaned ever so slightly into the kiss. 

Jack pulled away gently and breathed, "Are you sure, Will? I don't –"

Will nodded. "Yes, Jack… I'm sure. I'm sure that I love you."

Jack, despite himself, gave a sob before hugging Will tightly and burying his face in his beautiful hair. Will's eyes filled with happy tears and he embraced his lover as the pirate said, "Again…"

Instantly, the young man whispered, "I love you."

"Again."

"I love you. I love you so much, Jack… my Jack…"

"I love you too, Will – I love you, I love everything about you," he half-sobbed, half-laughed, smiling and pulling away to cup his lover's face in his hands. 

They embraced for a moment more before Jack murmured, "C'mon luv, let's lie down…"

Will nodded and got up, wiping the tears from his eyes and blushing when Jack took his hands away and tenderly kissed his cheeks. Jack led them over to the bed and let Will sit first. He knelt in front of him and unlaced his boots, sliding them off and smiling up at his new lover. He took his own boots off, followed by his hat and coat, and then lay down, opening his arms and loving how Will sank into his embrace. 

Will Turner knew that this was supposed to happen; he was finally brought into Jack's arms, and he wasn't planning to leave anytime soon. 

Jack closed his eyes and held his love tight. He was never going to let him go again. Never.


End file.
